Virtually all households have HHW, electronic devices, sharps or pharmaceuticals. Permanent and one-day collection programs provide an opportunity to manage these wastes in an environmentally safe manner.

HHW is generally defined as a household waste that is toxic, flammable, reactive or corrosive. Common HHW includes oil-based paints, thinners, pool chemicals, pesticides, mercury fever thermometers, and gasoline. Since the first collection in 1984 in Ridgefield, HHW programs have grown dramatically. Collections are available for nearly every resident, and on average, over 30,000 state residents participate in HHW collections each year.

Note: Pharmaceuticals and sharps cannot be brought to HHW collections. Some towns or pharmacies occasionally offer special collections where residents can bring sharps, prescription medicines, veterinary medicines and over-the-counter (OTC) products. But they are not regularly scheduled and are sometimes limited to residents of the sponsoring town. If you cannot bring your medicines to a special collection, the best way to dispose of medicines and OTC products, is to follow the disposal instructions and put them in the trash. If you cannot bring your sharps to a special collection, see the brochure entitled "Don't Stick Me With Your Sharps" for information on how to safely dispose of this waste.

Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers this web-based course to introduce you to household hazardous materials and things you can do to protect yourself and your family from injury or death. A certificate will be issued if you pass the final exam with 75% or better.